


3 Times Simon Gets To Know Something About Raphael

by scalira



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: 3 + 1, Fluff, M/M, also some angst i guess, and has never been kissed, and still has nightmares, raphael plays the piano, semi drunk kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-06-05 19:05:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6717394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scalira/pseuds/scalira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(+ The One Time Raphael Gets To Know Something About Simon)</p>
            </blockquote>





	3 Times Simon Gets To Know Something About Raphael

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Satanslilslut (KikiDaMage)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KikiDaMage/gifts).



> Me, a humble 3 + 1 trope lover

**1\. Raphael plays the piano**

The hotel is very rarely completely quiet. Simon doesn’t mind – he has a deep hatred for silence. He can’t stand it, it makes his skin crawl and his stomach twist with anxiety. He always needs some kind of background noise, even to be able to fall asleep.

So, living in a vampire Hotel has its perks. There’s always at least some conversation going on he can listen in to, or someone watching a movie, or someone having sex upstairs. Most vampires also play multiple instruments and often retreat to their rooms to jam for a while, just to practice. Simon’s heard some guitars, a violin, a cello, even the drums.

He’s also heard some people play the piano, but it was never as good as what he’s hearing right now.

Simon’s gotten used to the constant noise at the Hotel and barely hears it anymore (notices it just enough to know it’s not quiet), but his ears perk up almost immediately when someone starts playing the piano this time.

Simon immediately knows he’s never heard this before. Sure, he’s heard others play the piano, but their way of playing doesn’t come anywhere near this technique, this melody.

So, of course, he has to go and investigate.

Simon jumps to his feet and throws the comic book he’d been flipping through on the coffee table, already making his way through the lounge to the hallway.

The hotel is surprisingly empty tonight. He only comes across one other vamp, who smiles brightly at him. Simon is still getting used to vampires actually being _nice_ to him instead of wanting to rip him apart, but he smiles back and hopes it looks like he means it. Then he jogs up the stairs to investigate the upper floors, using his enhanced hearing to locate the noise.

It leads him to Raphael’s room.

Simon hesitates halfway through lifting his hand to knock. Raphael had specifically told him not to disturb him unless it was _really_ important (“seriously,” he’d said, “only bother me when you or one of the others is dead or dying”), but Simon’s skin is itching like it does when he wants to get to the bottom of something and he knows he’ll never rest before knowing what exactly is happening.

So he decides this is worth the risk of being decapitated by his mentor and lets his knuckles repeatedly land on the wood of the door.

It takes Raphael a few seconds to get to the door, but then he jerks it open and stares at Simon wide-eyed.

“Who’s hurt?” He demands.

“Uh,” Simon says smartly, already regretting his decision. Curse him and his curiosity!

“No – nobody. I, uh, just heard you play and wanted to come check it out.”

Raphael narrows his eyes at him. He reminds Simon of a snake about to attack its prey.

“What did I tell you about disturbing me?” He growls.

“I know, I know!” Simon says, throwing his hands up in surrender.

“I’m sorry! You’re just really good. I couldn’t help myself.”

Raphael glares at him some more and then sighs. He visibly relaxes, his shoulders slagging and balancing his weight on one foot.

“Come on, then,” he says with a jerk of his head, motioning inside.

Simon almost trips over himself trying to get inside, not believing he actually got invited to Raphael’s private room. This is a huge step in their relationship – maybe they’re _friends_ now. Wow. Who could’ve thought.

Raphael slides back on the bench placed in front of the piano, shifting until he’s on the end of it and patting the seat next to him.

“Do you play?” He asks as Simon sits down next to him.

Simon shakes his head, lets his fingers hover over the keys.

“Not the piano,” he mumbles.

“Do you want to learn?”

Simon squints at the other vampire.

“Are you gonna be my teacher?” He asks suspiciously.

Raphael huffs a laugh and nudges him with his shoulder.

“I promise I’ll be more patient,” he says sincerely.

“Then I’d love to learn!” Simon beams brightly. Raphael looks at him for a heartbeat, darts his eyes from Simon’s to his lips and up again. Then he shoots him one of his rare, kind smiles.

“Good,” he finally smiles.

“Pay attention.”

And then he starts playing again.

 

**2\. Raphael still has nightmares**

He doesn’t know why he does it. Normally, when something wakes him up, Simon just shuts his eyes again and tries to ignore it. But tonight he’s woken up by a chilling scream. And it seems to be coming out of Raphael’s room.

He’s out of bed and by his door before he’s even fully awake and down the hall before he can think better of it. He hesitates in front of Raphael’s room, thinks he may have imagined it. But then there’s another scream and he almost falls into the room trying to get inside.

He was expecting walking in on a fight or a demon trying to kill Raphael, but the older vampire is still in bed, his legs tangled in the sheets and his chest rising and falling unevenly. His head is lolling from side to side and his fists are clenched by his sides as if he’s ready to fight. From where he’s standing, Simon can see the bloody tears dripping from underneath his closed eyelids.

Simon used to struggle with nightmares. It’s part of the reason why he doesn’t like silence: it allows his brain to dig up those scary things he managed to put away and make him restless. He got over them when he was around twelve, but he never forgot what his mother would do to calm him down when he used to scream himself awake after his father died.

So when another strangled cry escapes from Raphael’s lips, Simon closes the distance between where he’s standing and his bed and crawls in with him.

“Raphael?” He asks softly, gently shaking his shoulder.

“Hey, Raph. Wake up, buddy. It’s a dream, it’s just a dream.”

Raphael doesn’t seem to hear, becomes even more restless in his sleep. Simon nudges him harder when he starts trashing around and almost hits him in the face with his fist.

Raphael wakes up mid-scream, eyes huge with fear. He doesn’t seem to recognize Simon as he leaps towards him in an attempt to attack.

Simon manages to catch his wrists before he can start throwing punches.

“Raphael! It’s me – it’s Simon!” He calls out.

“Calm down! It was a nightmare, you’re okay. You’re safe!”

Raphael’s eyes clear up, the sleep induced glaze disappearing from them. When he finally realizes who’s in bed with him, he lumps against Simon’s chest.

Raphael’s forehead is sweaty where it presses against Simon’s collarbone. Simon ignores it as he strokes Raphael’s hair.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He whispers.

Raphael shakes his head, his fingers grabbing at the front of Simon’s shirt.

“You get nightmares often?”

The older vampire doesn’t reply, just takes a shaky breath.

“I used to get them,” Simon admits.

“Right after my father died. They used to be so bad I’d scream myself awake.”

It’s quiet for a heartbeat, and then Raphael asks: “When did they stop?”

“When I was twelve, right after I started going to middle school. Talking to a psychiatrist helped too.”

Raphael laughs dryly.

“I can’t exactly tell a psychiatrist about my Turning, can I?”

“You still dream about it?”

He feels Raphael shrug more than he sees it.

“Sometimes. I think they’ll never stop.”

“You don’t know that. Maybe talking about it will help. It doesn’t have to be to a psychiatrist. You can tell me. If you want.”

Raphael shifts until he’s settled completely between Simon’s legs, curled up safely against his chest.

“We were out hunting – me and some other boys. Looking for the vampire kidnapping children in the neighborhood. I wanted to be brave by going in first. I – I didn’t know it was a trap, that the vampire was waiting for us. And it all happened so fast.” He falters, sighs. Then he continues: “The worst thing was waking up underground and clawing my way to the surface. It felt worse than death.”

“Tell me about it,” Simon mutters.

“It’s just – I – sometimes I dream about being back in that grave. That I’m trapped and that nobody can hear me cry for help. In my dream, I don’t claw myself out. I die there, suffocating on the dirt.”

“Raph, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m not the only one who gets them.”

“I know but I just – I just hate seeing you upset.”

Raphael doesn’t reply, and maybe that’s a good thing. Simon just pulls him closer and rubs soothing circles on his back.

Right when he thinks he’s fallen back asleep and starts getting up to go back to his own room, Raphael shyly asks: “Can you… can you please stay? I – I’m scared to go back to sleep.”

“Of course,” Simon says, pressing a light kiss to the top of his head.

“My mom used to sing me back to sleep after I’d woken up from a nightmare. Want me to try that?”

He honestly expects Raphael to make a snarky comment or make fun of him for that. But he just nuzzles his nose in Simon’s neck and gives a short nod.

It takes Simon a moment to find the words to the old lullaby his mother used to sing him and then another few moments for him to find the courage to actually start singing it. His voice is low and soft in the quiet room, barely carrying the words far enough for Raphael to hear. It seems to help nevertheless, as Raphael’s breathing evens out until it’s slow enough for Simon to know he’s asleep.

He stays with him until the sun sets and then carefully slips out to sneak back to his room. He doesn’t want to be there when Raphael wakes up in case things are gonna be awkward between them.

He bumps into Lily on the way back to his room, who raises a curious eyebrow at him.

“Did you just come from Raphael’s room?” She asks.

“Maybe,” Simon replies automatically.

Her other eyebrow follows at that.

“Didn’t know you two were doing it.”

“Wh- we’re not! He had a nightmare and I comforted him.”

Now her jaw is dropping as well. She looks quite comical like that, pure shock dripping from her face.

“What?” Simon finally asks when she doesn’t reply.

“Raphael never lets anyone even near him when he’s had a nightmare, let alone _comfort_ him.”

Then she eyes him up and down, pats his chest as she walks past him.

“You must be something special, Lewis,” she says over her shoulder before rounding the corner.

Simon is glad he’s a vampire, because otherwise he’d probably blushed so brightly they could’ve seen him from space.

**3\. Raphael has never been kissed**

Simon doesn’t exactly know when he started thinking about Raphael in _that_ way.

To be honest, he didn’t even know he liked boys like that. Sure, he’d often thought other guys were attractive, but that was something normal to think, right? Guys can think other guys are attractive without it having to mean something.

Except, with Simon, it actually _does_ mean something.

He tries not to think too much about it because there’s no way in hell Raphael feels the same way about him. Logically speaking, guys like Raphael won’t go for guys like Simon even if they were the last people on earth.

So he’s just gonna pretend like he doesn’t want to hold Raphael’s hand and kiss his nose (because he has definitely _not_ noticed how his lips perfectly line up to Raphael’s nose) and fall asleep in his arms.

That is, until Raphael has the bright idea to get drunk.

He really hadn’t been expecting the composed, brooding, grumpy grandpa vampire to suggest it, but there he is, holding up a bottle of tequila in one hand and a bottle of blood in the other one.

“Why exactly are we doing this?” Simon asks as he watches him pour some alcohol and blood in two shot glasses.

Raphael shrugs and hands him the glass.

“Because,” he says as he swirls around the liquid, “it’s my birthday today.”

“What? No, it isn’t!”

Raphael snickers.

“Yeah, it is. I normally just have a drink by myself each year, but this year I thought it could be fun to get you drunk too.”

“Huh, so you’re basically using me,” Simon teases.

“Yeah, totally. Get them drunk and get in their pants, as they say.”

“Literally nobody says that. Also, don’t do that.”

“Do I look like a gross straight dudebro who would try such a thing?”

“I’m surprised you even know the term ‘dudebro’.”

Raphael looks down at his glass as he replies: “I actually do listen when you’re rambling, Simon.”

Simon doesn’t know how to reply to that, so he just raises his glass and clings it to Raphael’s.

“To your eighty fifth birthday or whatever,” he smiles. Raphael smiles back.

“To my eighty fifth birthday or whatever,” he says.

Simon turning into a vampire has changed a lot of things, but being a lightweight when it comes to alcohol isn’t one of them. He doesn’t need a lot of shots to get tipsy, and when he gets tipsy, he gets uncharacteristically brave.

So, halfway through the night and in the middle of some movie he wouldn’t even remotely enjoy when he was sober, he hits Raphael on the arm with a loud gasp.

The older vampire jumps and glares at him, his eyes slightly dazed with alcohol.

“Dude, I didn’t get you a gift!” Simon exclaims.

Raphael rolls his eyes at him.

“Don’t worry about it,” he says, sounding too sober for the amount of alcohol he consumed.

“No, I’m totally worrying about it. How can we celebrate your birthday without a gift?”

“Simon, honestly, it’s fine,” Raphael reassures him, but Simon doesn’t want to hear it. He shifts on the couch to sit up straight and faces Raphael, chewing his bottom lip as he tries to come up with a gift on the spot.

Simon’s drunken mind is not the most logical thing in the universe. So when he thinks the perfect gift would be his great kissing skills, it really wouldn’t make sense if he were sober. But, as the light feeling in his head proves, Simon is anything but sober. And this seems like the best idea ever.

So before Raphael can say anything else, Simon surges forward and presses their lips together.

Raphael makes a surprised sound in the back of his throat and almost pulls back, but eventually he lifts his hand to press into Simon’s hair.

They don’t deepen the kiss, just press their lips together again and again and again, Raphael’s hands in Simon’s neck and Simon’s hands on Raphael’s sides.

When they finally part, Raphael looks… shy.

“Was that okay?” Simon whispers, mentally kicking himself for not asking that _before_ he kissed him. But thankfully, Raphael smiles.

“Yeah, that was – that was good. I, uh. That was my first - I never…” He stutters, glancing back at Simon’s mouth and licking his lips.

“Wait, was that your first kiss?” Simon asks, trying to keep the shock out of his voice. Raphael turns a beautiful shade of pink.

“Yeah,” he admits quietly.

“Oh god. I just stole your first kiss while you’re not even sober enough to consent to it. I’m horrible. I don’t – I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“I’m actually pretty sober,” Raphael disagrees.

“Sober enough to consent, at least. And I’d very much like to consent to a second kiss.”

“Really? With me?”

“No, I want you to get someone else for me to kiss. Of course with you, _idiota_.”

Simon giggles nervously, then stretches his neck to kiss Raphael again.

This time, they do deepen the kiss. Simon makes sure to take it slow, letting Raphael get used to the feeling. When the older vampire shifts to his knees, Simon pulls him onto his lap.

One of the perks of being a vampire is not having to breathe, which means not having to pull back for air after kissing. So they don’t, and they end up just sitting there, exploring each other’s mouths until the sun starts to rise and even after that, safely hidden away behind the thick curtains.

 

**+1. Raphael gets to know something about Simon**

Simon hates it when Raphael has a nightmare.

He doesn’t get them often anymore, not now that Simon has permanently moved into his room and holds him as he sleeps. But some bad dreams still manage to slip past him and wake Raphael up screaming and trashing around.

Tonight is one of those nights, and Raphael is still shaking in the aftermath of his nightmares minutes after Simon woke him up. They’re lying on their sides, facing each other but not touching. Sometimes, Raphael needs his space when he’s had a nightmare.

Simon watches him intently. He desperately wants to reach out to wipe away the bloody tears, but he has to respect Raphael’s boundaries.

“Wanna talk about it?” He asks. Despite his whispering, his voice still sounds loud in the quiet room.

Raphael shakes his head. He never wants to talk about the things haunting them. Simon still asks every time, though. Just in case he changes his mind.

“Can I do something else?”

Raphael takes a shaky breath and closes his eyes, a single red tear slipping from his closed eyelids.

“Tell me a secret,” he says eventually.

“What?” Simon asks, confused.

“Please,” Raphael whimpers. Simon’s heart aches for him.

“Just – just distract me. Tell me something about you nobody knows.”

“O – okay,” Simon stutters, having to fight the urge to reach out and stroke his hair. He knows Raphael will probably freak out if he touches him right now, so he presses his hands firmly to his sides.

Simon has to think about a secret he can reveal to Raphael. He observes him as he thinks, takes in his sharp features and full lips, slightly parted as he takes deep breaths. He doesn’t have to lift the sheets to imagine what he looks like underneath them, can easily picture his marble skin and toned muscles. And he thinks about what Raphael means to him. He thinks about his big heart and the way he can laugh at one of Simon’s silly jokes or how he wants to see Simon in his clothes, just because he thinks he looks good in them.

He blurts it out as he realizes it, and when he hears the words he knows they’re true.

“I love you.”

Raphael’s eyes fly open and he darts them over Simon’s face. For one terrifying moment, Simon thinks he fucked up. But then Raphael exhales and starts tearing up again.

“Even when I’m like this?” He wonders.

“Messed up and broken?”

“Raph, you’re anything but broken. But yeah, even like this. I love your grumpy side and your loving side and your vulnerable side.”

“Simon…”

“Look, you don’t have to say it back. I just wanted to say it. So, yeah. There’s my secret, I guess.”

“I want to say it back,” Raphael whispers, his eyes still glued to his face.

“I love you, Simon.”

“Yeah?” Simon asks, a huge smile almost splitting his face in half.

“Yeah,” Raphael nods, the smile on his face smaller but just as sincere.

“Can I kiss you?” Simon says. Raphael bites his lip. It takes him a few moments, but eventually, he nods.

Simon moves until he’s hovering over the older vampire and then gently brushes their lips together.

Raphael doesn’t deepen the kiss and Simon knows he doesn’t want to, knows that this is as far as he can go right now. So he just pulls back and lies down on top of him, settling between his legs.

“Try to get some sleep,” he suggests, brushing his fingers right below Raphael’s eyes.

“Okay,” Raphael nods, but he just keeps looking at Simon.

“You’ll have to close your eyes for that, Raph,” Simon giggles.

“I know, but just – just don’t go anywhere, okay?”

“Of course not. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

“Good,” Raphael smiles and then yawns.

“Good,” Simon repeats.

Raphael is asleep five minutes later, and Simon spends the rest of the night (day) looking at him.

 

 


End file.
